1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ExpressCard technology and more particularly, to a USB based ExpressCard device, which incorporates a USB3.0 connector and an ExpressCard together, and employs SMT (surface mounting technology) to bond the rear bonding portions of the first and second conducting terminals of the USB3.0 connector to the circuit board of the ExpressCard, avoiding increasing the size.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ExpressCard standard specifies two factors, ExpressCard/34 (34 mm wide) and ExpressCard/54 (54 mm wide, in an L-shape). Using an ExpressCard in a notebook computer can expand the functions. Further, a USB based ExpressCard device is known, comprising a shell, a circuit board mounted in the shell, a terminal holder block located on the rear side of the circuit board for the connection of a matching connector upon insertion of the USB based ExpressCard into an ExpressCard slot of a first electronic apparatus, for example, notebook computer, and a USB (USB2.0) connector located on the front side of the circuit board for the connection of a second electronic apparatus. Subject to the limitations of data transmission speed and power supply stability, this design of USB based ExpressCard device is simply suitable for use in a low transmission speed peripheral apparatus (such as card reader, printer, mobile disk drive, internet telephone or webcam), not practical for use in a high capacity hard disk drive, DVD copier, DVD player, blue light DVD copier or blue light DVD player. For high transmission speed and high power application, USB3.0 based ExpressCard devices are developed. However, an ExpressCard has a specific size. The thickness of a standard ExpressCard is 5 mm. For the mounting of a USB3.0 connector in a standard ExpressCard to make a USB3.0 based ExpressCard device, the length of the circuit board of the ExpressCard must be extended, or an extra circuit board must be added to the front side of the original circuit board of the ExpressCard. Either of the two methods complicates the circuit layout and increases the device height. As shown in FIG. 8, when a USB3.0 based ExpressCard device is inserted into an ExpressCard slot of a notebook computer, the USB3.0 based ExpressCard device cannot be completely received inside the notebook computer. The part of the USB3.0 based ExpressCard device that protrudes out of the peripheral wall of the notebook computer may be impacted by an external object accidentally, causing damage.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a USB3.0 based ExpressCard device that eliminates the aforesaid problems.